Monday, February 28, 2011

Monday - Feb 28, 2011

Creative Writing - 1st Per:
Write an Epic narrative poem with illustrations.  It should tell a tale and be long enough to consider it almost as an essay.  No topic assigned. 

Honors - 2nd Per:
We continued with Milton today.  No Journal.  No other weekly homework.  Vocab due on Thursday

8th Grade - 3rd Per:
Skiing today!

7th Grade - 4th Per:
Skiing Today!

12th Grade - 5th Per:
Class meeting to discuss more details of senior trip.  
Journal entry:  A time you were willing and/or able to change for the better.  Due Thursday.
Vocab due Thursday also.

10th Grade - 6th Per:
Write an essay about "Change" for this assignment.  It must be:
3 - 4 pages.  No exceptions
11 or 12 point font.  Times New Roman or Calibri.
Typed and Double spaced.
Due Thursday.

Potential topics to consider:
Changing from middle to high school.
Turning 16
Money issues
Disease in your life or a family member's
Death in the family
Teachers (Mrs. Morgan's way of doing things vs. Mine.)
Attitude changes
Life changes
Divorce
Moving to a new school or state
Getting a job
Etc. 

This is a district assessment, so do your best work on it. 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Tuesday - Feb 22, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
Work day

2nd Per - Honors:
Reading through Paradise Lost.  No Homework.

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
Debates continue.  We're getting some really good dialogue.  I've been very impressed.

4th Per - 7th Grade:
We finished reading the story by Gary Paulson on pages 252 - 255.  Assignment:  After reading the story, and thinking about the different ways Paulson characterizes the main boy and girl in the story, draw a colorful picutre of each of them showcasing the ways in which Paulson describes them.  Take everything you learned about personification, inference, imagery, etc, and put it into your pictures.  These are going on the walls outside my classroom for all to see, so do your best job.  The pictures should include the two people and employ lots of color and background to help us figure out what he wants us to see in our minds when we read this story. 

5th Per - 12th Grade:
-We begain reading "Paradise Lost" in the text and discussed the rich language and imagery. 
-I also showed a series of about 20 pictures by Gregory Doré that help to get inside the mental picture with this story. 
-We listened to a song from "Les Miserables" about Jean Val Jean, who has to make the choice of whether he wants to condem a man to prison for something he didn't do to escape jail and physical condemnation but earning eternal damnation for himself, or if he will turn himself in, destroying the lives of hundreds of his factory workers, condemning himself, but gaining salvation for being a righteous man.  It's deep and heady stuff!  Good times!

6th Per - 10th Grade:
Vocabulary game.  Daniel, Tyrel, and Ben represented their teams respectively well.  Way to go, guys.   No Homework. 

Monday, February 21, 2011

Monday - February 21, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
Semester project week.  Bring your semester projects to work on all week. 

2nd Per - Honors:
Work day.  We will finish discussing Milton this week and move on next monday.
No Homework:
     -No Journal this week.
     -No vocab or spelling this week
     -No Greek this week.

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
4th Per - 7th Grade:
5th Per - 12th Grade:
6th Per - 10th Grade:

Vocab week 8 words:
accost /əˈkôst/ verb


1. Approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively; to confront in a bold manner:

2. Approach (someone) with hostility or harmful intent especially with a question, or remark





impunity /im-pyoo-nə-tē/ noun

1. exemption from punishment or loss or escape from fines

2. without punishment



intrepid /in-trep-id/ adj.

1. characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance

2. bold, brave, daring, courageous, heroic, unafraid, valient



irate /ī ˈrāt/ adj.

1. feeling extreme anger; enraged; fuming;

2. occasioned or characterized by anger



plethora /ple-thə-rə/ noun

1. excessive amount; superfluity; profusion; abundance



2. bodily condition characterized by an excess of blood resulting in a florid complexion



Spelling Words Week 8:
List 12B with Hawley's definitions:
Asinine - Stupid
Assassinate - to kill
Temperament - Mood/Personality
Auxiliary - Helpers
Baccalaureate - Graduation Service or Ceremony
Bailiff - Deputy
Battalion - Multiple units of soldiers
Beige - Light brown
Bettor - one who bets. (Gambling)
Bivouac - Temporary, rudimentary camp
 
No Journal entry this week.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Friday - Feb 18, 2011




Good Luck tonight to all the teams playing!!!

1st Per - Creative Writing:
Reading day.  Lovell High School drama dramas due today. 

2nd Per - Honors:
Gone to college class.
Current Events and Vocab sheets due today.

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
vocab week 7 test
Spelling 12A test

4th Per - 7th Grade:
Vocab Week 7 test
Spelling 12A test
Current Events # 2 due today.

5th Per - 12th Grade:
Pep rally.  No class.

6th Per - 10th Grade:
Pep Rally and then reading day.  No tests today.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Thursday - February 17, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
Continue working on your plays.  due tomorrow.

2nd Per - Honors
We took notes on the various characters that we will be reading about in Paradise Lost.  Here are the notes.

• The Seven Deadly Sins


Anger, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy, Gluttony

• Main Characters

• Satan - Head of the rebellious angels who have just fallen from Heaven. As the poem’s antagonist, Satan is the originator of sin—the first to be ungrateful for God the Father’s blessings. He embarks on a mission to Earth that eventually leads to the fall of Adam and Eve, but also worsens his eternal punishment. His character changes throughout the poem. Satan often appears to speak rationally and persuasively, but later in the poem we see the inconsistency and irrationality of his thoughts. He can assume any form, adopting both glorious and humble shapes.

• Adam

• Adam - The first human, the father of our race, and, along with his wife Eve, the caretaker of the Garden of Eden. Adam is grateful and obedient to God, but falls from grace when Eve convinces him to join her in the sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge.

• Eve

• Eve - The first woman and the mother of mankind. Eve was made from a rib taken from Adam’s side. Because she was made from Adam and for Adam, she is subservient to him. She is also weaker than Adam, so Satan focuses his powers of temptation on her. He succeeds in getting her to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree despite God’s command.

• God the Father

• - One part of the Christian Trinity. God the Father creates the world by means of God the Son, creating Adam and Eve last. He foresees the fall of mankind through them. He does not prevent their fall, in order to preserve their free will, but he does allow his Son to atone for their sins.

• God the Son

• - Jesus Christ, the second part of the Trinity. He delivers the fatal blow to Satan’s forces, sending them down into Hell, before the creation of Earth. When the fall of man is predicted, He offers himself as a sacrifice to pay for the sins of mankind, so that God the Father can be both just and merciful.

• Devils, Inhabiting Hell

• Beelzebub - Satan’s second-in-command. Beelzebub discusses with Satan their options after being cast into Hell, and at the debate suggests that they investigate the newly created Earth. He and Satan embody perverted reason, since they are both eloquent and rational but use their talents for wholly corrupt ends.

• Belial

• - One of the principal devils in Hell. Belial argues against further war with Heaven, but he does so because he is an embodiment of sloth and inactivity, not for any good reason. His eloquence and learning is great, and he is able to persuade many of the devils with his faulty reasoning.

• Mammon

• - A devil known in the Bible as the epitome of wealth. Mammon always walks hunched over, as if he is searching the ground for valuables. In the debate among the devils, he argues against war, seeing no profit to be gained from it. He believes Hell can be improved by mining the gems and minerals they find there.

• Mulciber

• - The devil who builds Pandemonium, Satan’s palace in Hell. Mulciber’s character is based on a Greek mythological figure known for being a poor architect, but in Milton’s poem he is one of the most productive and skilled devils in Hell.

• Moloch

• - A rash, irrational, and murderous devil. Moloch argues in Pandemonium that the devils should engage in another full war against God and his servant angels.

• Sin

• - Satan’s daughter, who sprang full-formed from Satan’s head when he was still in Heaven. Sin has the shape of a woman above the waist, that of a serpent below, and her middle is ringed about with Hell Hounds, who periodically burrow into her womb and gnaw her entrails. She guards the gates of Hell.

• Death

• - Satan’s son by his daughter, Sin. Death in turn rapes his mother, begetting the mass of beasts that torment her lower half. The relations between Death, Sin, and Satan mimic horribly those of the Holy Trinity.

• Angels, Inhabiting Heaven and Earth

• Gabriel - One of the archangels of Heaven, who acts as a guard at the Garden of Eden. Gabriel confronts Satan after his angels find Satan whispering to Eve in the Garden.

• Raphael

• - One of the archangels in Heaven, who acts as one of God’s messengers. Raphael informs Adam of Satan’s plot to seduce them into sin, and also narrates the story of the fallen angels, as well as the fall of Satan.

• Uriel

• - An angel who guards the planet earth. Uriel is the angel whom Satan tricks when he is disguised as a cherub. Uriel, as a good angel and guardian, tries to correct his error by making the other angels aware of Satan’s presence.

• Abdiel

• - An angel who at first considers joining Satan in rebellion but argues against Satan and the rebel angels and returns to God. His character demonstrates the power of repentance.

• Michael

• - The chief of the archangels, Michael leads the angelic forces against Satan and his followers in the battle in Heaven, before the Son provides the decisive advantage. Michael also stands guard at the Gate of Heaven, and narrates the future of the world to Adam in Books XI and XII.

• Chunks of the Story

• Make sure you understand what is happening in each section of the story before you move on to the next portion.

• 1-26

• 27-83

• 84-127

• 128-155

• 156-191

• 192-241

• 242-End

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
We continued our debates today.  We'll have a very short vocab lesson on Monday and continue on all next week to try and push through them. 
 
4th Per - 7th Grade:
We did the "It Says, I Say, And So" chart from page 250 and began reading the story "Girls" on page 252.  We'll finish reading the story on Tuesday and discuss it on Wednesday of next week.
 
5th Per - 12th Grade:
Last day of being aligned with the Honors classes.  After today, they will be doing their own curriculum again. 
 
6th Per - 10th Grade:
We finished up the Prezi's today.  Finally!   I saw some good stuff, and some things that needed to be improved.  We also discussed a few of the things you can expect to find when you get to college.  I always want my students to be well prepared.  It was a major shock to me when I first went because I didn't have anyone in my family who had already gone and could help me out with tips and tricks. 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Wednesday - Feb 16, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
Working on the Play.

2nd Per - Honors:
We read more information on Milton's life.  Pg 348-349.

3rd Per: - 8th Grade:
Continuing the debates.  Good job so far on what I've seen.

4th Per: - 7th Grade:
We are working on characterization.  We took notes on things from pages 246 - 248.  Read those three pages for class.

5th Per - 12th Grade: 
Same as honors today.

6th Per - 10th Grade:
Prezis continued.  I saw some really good stuff today. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Tuesday - February 15, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
Nobody showed up to class.  This is getting really old. 

2nd Per - Honors:
We read a biography of John Milton.  Students were asked to consider how life's experiences often contribute to what and how we write.  How was Milton ideally placed to have written "Paradise Lost?"  What was his personal life like that would help him to understand the highs and lows of this mortal life?  Also consider how wealth affects culture.  If people don't have the freedom and the time to sit around thinking and writing, or painting, or sculpting all day, we would be very culturally poor as well as economically poor.  I have copies of the handout on my "homework counter."

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
We started working on our debates today.  Mrs. Henley provided a rubric that discussed the rules and details of what we are looking for when you begin this tomorrow.  Here is the handout she provided:

  • 8th Grade Debate from Persuasive Essays

    1. On the day of the debate, each student in the ‘audience’ will have a blank rubric to complete for each team pro and con. The audience should strive to judge the debate objectively.
    2. The debate will begin with the proponent speaker first. They will have 3-5 minutes of uninterrupted time to explain their position.
    3. Repeat for the con (contrasting), or opposition, side.
    4. Both sides will have 2 minutes to read through their cards and prepare their rebuttal.
    5. The rebuttal begins with the con side. They will have 2 minutes to speak after which their opponent will ask them 3 questions. Responses are 1-2 minutes in length.
    6. Repeat for the pro side.
    7. A final 1 minute summation will be delivered by each side beginning with the proponent.
    8. At the end of each debate, well thought out questions can be taken from the audience. These questions will be noted for possible extra credit for the questioner.

    Each team will be rated on a 1-10 scale for demonstrating that they understand their own position and on arguments from the opposition relating to the issue.
  • Each person in the debate will be scored on their initial statement regarding their position as well as on their rebuttal.

    All remarks should be thoughtful and respectful.

    Scores will be based on how well a position is stated and argued and on how convincingly each rebuttal point is made.

    The concluding summation should sound sure and strong and be backed by evidence and expert opinion. Questions from the audience should be answered quickly and surely.
4th Period - 7th Grade:

We began reading from page 246 in our literature books and took notes on the different kinds of Characterizations found on page 246 & 247.  Here are the notes:
 
Character


Dad says you need to build it.
Mom says you need to improve it.
Society says you need to have it.
But how do you define it?

  • Character Traits
    • Characterization
    • The process of revealing a characters traits in a story.
  • Direct
    • Just telling us what we should be thinking. Very little deduction involved (putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 8.)
  • Indirect
    • You have to put the pieces together for yourself.
    • One person could see them as positive, another could see them as negative.
  • Appearance
    • What you see first off.
    • Includes key details about appearance.
    • Judge a book by it’s cover.
  • Actions
    • How a person acts in certain situations.
    • How a person responds to events around him/her.
  • Speech
    • Colloquialisms
      • Local ways of saying something when not in a formal situation.
        • Is it . . .
          • Pepsi?
          • Coke?
          • Soda?
          • Pop?
          • Soda Pop?
  • Speech
    • Grammar
      • Can they use the rightest wordses in the rightiest places?
    • Syntax
      • How they place words in a sentence, and which words they choose.
        • “It was hot and humid.”
        • “The summer day waxed sultry and oppressive while the spiteful humidity never abated.”
  • Thoughts and Feelings
    • The beauty of reading a story is you can get inside a person’s head.
    • This allows you to connect the dots FAR quicker than if you are just watching something happen.
      • Entire pantheon of literature about guys trying to figure out the women in their lives.
        • Just read “Twilight.”  NOT!
  • Other’s reactions to a person
    • How do others react or respond to a character?
    • Is the other person someone you trust or not?
    • Like or dislike?
      • Crabbe and Goyle with Malfoy
      • Ron and Hermione with Harry.
So what is Character?
From the Greek:
  • Kharakter – a defining quality.
  • Characterize + ation (process)
  • The process of defining someone’s qualities.
5th Per - 12th Grade:
See Honors.  We are still working with them for this week.

6th Per - 10th Grade:
We are FINALLY finishing up our Prezi Presentations.  5 students went today, and I saw some very impressive and creative things. 
-Remember the 5 second rule for pictures:  Don't show a picture for less than 5 seconds.  It's too quick to process it in your mind.
-Have someone else preview your text to make sure it's visible.
-make sure you give credit where it is due with your works cited.
-Don't speak too quickly or quietly. 

Monday, February 14, 2011

Monday - February 14, 2011

Journal Entry:  Recall a time you were "Sorry you said it."

Spelling is from list 12A.  The words followed by Hawley's definitions are:

Abscess - sore
Abysmal - Terrible
Accumulate - Pile up/collect
Emphasize - Noticeable
Admissible - Admit/allow
Aficionado - Collector/lover of
Align - Line up
Anoint - Give/place upon/to make it become
Accessible - To be able to get it
Arctic - Above the 30 degree parallel line on the earth.

Vocabulary words from week 7 include:

condolence - (n.) /kən dō lents/


1. an expression or declaration of sympathy; pity

example: We sent a condolence card to the grieving family

2. sharing feelings of sympathy to someone who has experienced grief, pain, or misfortune; commiseration



incongruous (adj.) /in coŋ groo us/

1. not conforming, not harmonious; disparate; conflicting; illogical

examples: Crimes are often solved when something seems incongruous or out of place

2. not congruent; equal in size and shape but not necessarily on the same angle (line segment) or position on a plane (shapes and figures)

examples: < A ≇ B; A and B are incongruous >


mundane - (adj.) /mən dān/

1. characterized by the practical, transitory

2. commonplace; ordinary; banal; unimaginative

examples: business must attend to mundane affairs; purposeful but often mundane homework

3. of or pertaining to this world (or earth) as contrasted with heaven; secular; worldly; earthly:


reprimand - (n. also v.) /rĕp rĭ mănd/

1. a severe or formal reproof or rebuke

example: < while reviewing the troops, the officer delivered a curt reprimand to one of the soldiers >

2. to reprove severely, especially in a formal or official way; censure;

involves harsh, vehement criticism, often from a superior or authoritative source

example:

3. admonish or reprove

example:


repudiate- (v) /r ĭ pyoo dē āt /

1. to refuse to accept; especially to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force

example: to repudiate the charges or claims against one;

new research repudiates the study’s claims

2. refuse to accept or be associated with

examples: to repudiate war

3. disown or cast off; divorce

example:



1st Per - Creative Writing:

We are working on writing a play this week. We are calling it the Lovell High School Drama drama. Include all the different groups of kids and typical kinds of adults you might find in a regular school, and showcase how they interact with each other. You might consider including:
Jocks
Shy kids
Honor kids
Rebel kids
Various Teachers
Principals and/or coaches
etc.


2nd Per - Honors:
Vocab from week 7.
Spelling week 7 - 12A words.

Greek week 4 words today include the following:

Term Definition Example
41. icon image icon
42. lysis solution, loosening analysis
43. mance, mancy prophecy, divination romance
44. phon, phono sound phonics
45. mega, megalo large megalomanic
46. stroph turn catastrophe
47. troph feed, nourish atrophy
48. pan, panto, panta all Pangea
49. entom insect entomologist
50. pal, pale, paleo, ancient paleograph

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
4th Per - 7th Grade:
5th Per - 12th Grade:
6th Per - 10th Grade:

Vocab, spelling, and journal.  Due Wednesday.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Friday - February 11, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
  • Reading day.

2nd Per - Honors:
  • College.  No students.
  • Book Review #1 Due today.
  • Religious Philosophers essay due.
  • Current Event Due today.

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
  • Vocab test week 6
  • Spelling Test 11B
  • Reading day afterwards.

4th Per - 7th Grade:
  • Vocab test week 6
  • Spelling Test 11B
  • Reading day afterwards.

5th Per - 12th Grade:
  • Vocab test week 6
  • Spelling Test 11B
  • Reading day afterwards.
  • Religious Philosophers Essay due today.
  • Current Event due today. 

6th Per - 10th Grade:
  • Spelling Test 11B
  • Reading day afterward. 
  • 1 page response on "Respecting Nature" from Jack London story "To Build a Fire" due today.

Thursday - February 09, 2011

Sorry this didn't get updated yesterday.  I had to race home midway through 3rd period when I suddenly became very ill. 

1st Period - Creative Writing:
Typing in the lab to finish persuasive essay research papers.

2nd Period - Honors:
Typing in the Lab and working on Religious philosophers paper.

3rd Period - 8th Grade:
Peer Review of rough drafts for the Persuasive essay.

4th Period - 7th Grade:
Grammar assignment review of homework from yesterday with Mrs. Henley.

5th Period - 12th Grade:
Typing in the Lab to work on Religious philosophers essay.

6th Period - 10th Grade:
Finished up the story "To build a fire" by Jack London.  1 page essay response "Respecting Nature" assigned for Friday.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Wednesday - Feb 09, 2011

Congratulations to our school spellers!  Connor, Adam, Tanner, Zariah, Carley, Cole, Maddie, Isobel, and Elayna represented Burlington Middle School at the District Spelling Bee in Lovell today.  Connor, Zariah, Maddie, Carly, and Adam advanced to the final spoken round and Connor and Zariah took 1st and 2nd place overall.  They will advance to the state competition in Laramie on March 11 and 12.  Way to go!!!

I was gone today to the District Spelling Bee, but here are the lesson plans I left.

1st Period – Creative Writing


• These students are working on a persuasive paper for my class that is due on Friday. I have arranged to have them go work in the library. The essay should be a minimum 2-4 pages typed, double spaced, with citations and a works cited page. I don’t care what they write about, as long as it’s persuasive in nature. Have them pick a position and argue for or against it. We have been working on this since Monday, but I’ve only had one student in class this week so far.

• Have them turn in their journals from week 6. They don’t have weekly vocab.



2nd Period – Honors English


• These 4 are working on a religious philosophers essay. They have the instructions and should be well on their way to completing it. Once again, I have arranged for them to be able to work in the Library this period so they can research/type.



3rd Period (8th grade) and 4th Period (7th grade)


• Mrs. Henley will be running these classes today. Sit back and enjoy, or help her out as needed. You will need to get them started in 3rd period till Mrs. Henley gets there, which is usually about 5 minutes after class starts. Have them pull out their vocab and spelling words and study them with a partner.

• After they finish studying, they need to turn in their vocab/spelling worksheet – “week 6” and the journal entry from Monday – also called “Journal week 6” about a positive father memory. They know the routine.

• If I can manage to get them graded tonight, also pass back the rough drafts to my 3rd period students. If not, they’ll get them on Thursday and have an extra day to get the final version turned in.

*Update - 3rd Period*  I didn't get the papers passed back today, so the final won't be due until Monday now. 

Also, Mrs. Henley assigned Page 168 Exercises 2 & 3 from the Grammar textbooks for homework for 3rd Period. 

*Update - 4th Period* They studied pages 107; 113 and were given worksheet #48 & 52 for homework.  Copies of this can be found in the homework box or on the table in front of the box.



5th Period – Regular English


• Take them down to the Library. These guys are doing the same project as my honors kids are right now. If Carlin or Stormy need helping knowing what to do, have them check the blog for instructions and the names that have already been selected.

• Vocab and Journals for week 6 are due today.



6th Period – 10th Grade

• Read through the story “To Build a Fire” with the class by Jack London. If you finish early, discuss the man vs. nature idea in this story. You could tie it in with the recent nasty weather we’ve been having. If they are squirrely, or have a lot of time still remaining, have them write a 1 page essay on “respecting nature” which will be due on Thursday when I return.

• They also need to turn in the vocab and journals from week 6.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Tuesday - Feb 08, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
2nd Per - Honors:
  • Not in session today because of late start for snow.
3rd Per - 8th Grade:
Object of wisdom vocabulary game with whiteboards and vocab terms.  No homework.  Journals and vocab due tomorrow.

4th Per - 7th Grade:
We discussed in depth the ways to use Microsoft Word to format papers.  How to cite papers, when it is appropriate or not, and how to do the works cited page at the end.  Here are a few general hints and guidelines.

  • Always double space lines in an essay.  It leaves teachers room to write comments.
  • Always include a page number on each page.  This is easiest if you go to the "insert" tab at the top and choose the "Insert page number" option.  Bottom of the page is usually the most common place to put these.
  • Cite anything that would not be common knowledge that you have used in your paper.  In general, this could include things like dates, places, people, events that are not commonly known to the general public. 
    • you don't need to cite anything that is commonly known, or is your opinion about what you read. 
  • IT IS BETTER TO HAVE TOO MANY CITATIONS IN YOUR PAPER THAN NOT ENOUGH!
    • If you can't cite your source in your paper, you can't use the information in your essay.
  • This paper is in MLA format, and should have a "Works Cited" page.  APA style papers (which you would use in a history, philosophy, psychology class) have a "Bibliography."  It's essentially the same exact thing, with the same exact information, but the formatting is different because it's a different style. 
  • The Works Cited page should ALWAYS be on it's own sheet of paper. 
5th Per - 12th grade:
We went to the library to work on our Religious Philosophers paper.  You may not research a philosopher that somebody else is already doing.  Don't pick people who didn't start a religious movement.  For example, Plato is a well known philosopher, but he didn't have any religious impact on the world.  Buddah, on the other hand was both a philosopher and a religious figure. 

Here are the names of the philosophers you have chosen so far:
Brandon - Karl Marx
Zach - Lau Tsu
Jacob - David Hume
Porter - Confucius
Gary - Muhammed
Jonathan - Avicena
Rebecca - Zoroaster
Stormi - Martin Luther
Carlin - Ghandi

Journal and vocab due tomorrow.

6th Per - 10th Grade:
We began going through the Prezi's with your book authors.  The three I saw today were relatively well done.  The rest of you need to get on the ball and finish them so you are not late.  This is a 100 point assignment, so you can't afford a bad grade. 

Journal and vocab due tomorrow.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Monday - February 07, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:

  • We are working on Persuasive essays this week.  Notes will be given on Tuesday.
  • Journal Entry -  Recall a positive memory with your father, or a father-type figure in your life. 

2nd Per - Honors: 
  • Greek week 3 words.
  • Vocab week 6 words - see below.
  • Spelling week 6 words from list 11B - see below.
  • Journal - Recall a positive memory with your father, or a father-type figure in your life. 
3rd Per - 8th Grade:
4th Per - 7th Grade:
  • Vocab week 6.  See words below.
  • Spelling week 6 words from list 11B - see below.
  • Journal - Recall a positive memory with your father, or a father-type figure in your life. 
5th Per - 12th Grade:
6th Per - 10th Grade:
  • Greek week 3 words.
  • Vocab week 6 words - see below.
  • Spelling week 6 words from list 11B - see below.
  • Journal - Recall a positive memory with your father, or a father-type figure in your life.

Vocab week 6:

jostle- v. /jŏ’ sl/


1. to make one's way by bumping or pushing against;

2. to knock into or against someone inadvertently.

examples: jostle for control, jostle for power, jostle for position



loathe- v. /lōth/ also /lōð/

1. to dislike greatly, often with disgust or intolerance

2. to feel intense aversion for; abhor



paradox- n. /pār’ ә doks/ (pl. = paradoxes)

1. something contradictory: a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense yet nevertheless could be true; a mismatch between or among ideas.

example: "I must be cruel to be kind." Shakespeare in Hamlet

2. a statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but which may be true

throng- n. /thrông/

1. a large group of people gathered or crowded closely together; a multitude.

2. a large group of things; a host



tremulous- adj. /trem yoo lәs/

1. in a shaky, trembling manner; to shake because of shyness or fear

2. marked by trembling, quivering, or shaking.

3. timid or fearful; timorous

example: Her voice was so tremulous the recording could not pick it up.


Spelling 11B words with Hawley's definitions:
Misspelled - Wrong
Monotonous - boring
Persistent - keep trying
Quandary - problem with a tough choice
Rescission - To take back/away
Sacrilegious - to defile
Supersede - To overrule
Vacuum - empty/nothing
Whether - choice
Adherent - Follower, sticky

Friday - February 4th, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
Satire Essays due.
Reading day.

2nd Per - Honors
College classes.  No students today.

3rd Per - 8th Grade - Week 5 Vocab test and 11A spelling test.
4th Per - 7th Grade - Same as 3rd Period.

5th Per - 12th Grade:
Reading day.

6th Per - 10th Grade:
Reading day.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Thursday - February 3, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
We took some notes on Satire today and read a few example stories.  Here are the notes:

• Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change.


o In Celtic societies, it was thought a bard's satire could have physical effects, similar to a curse. A satirist is one who satirizes.

Satire is not exclusive to any viewpoint.

• Parody is a form of humor that imitates another work of art in an exaggerated fashion for comic effect, usually deriding the subject of the parody in the process.

• Although the techniques of satire and parody often overlap, they are not synonymous.

• Satires need not be humorous - indeed, they are often tragic - while parodies are almost inevitably humorous.

o Parodies are imitative by definition, while satires need not be.

o Humorous satires often base the humor on the juxtaposition between the satire and reality. The humor of such a satire tends to be subtle , using irony and deadpan humor liberally.

Common examples of satire include:

• Diminution: Reduces the size of something in order that it may be made to appear ridiculous or in order to be examined closely and have its faults seen close up.

o For example, treating the Canadian Members of Parliament as a squabbling group of little boys is an example of diminution. The first portion of Gulliver's Travels, set in the ficticious land of Liliput, is a diminutive satire.

• Inflation: A common technique of satire is to take a real-life situation and exaggerate it to such a degree that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen, and thus satirical.

• For example, two boys arguing over a possession of a car can be inflated into an interstellar war.

• Juxtaposition: Places things of unequal importance side by side. It brings all the things down to the lowest level of importance on the list. For example, if a guy says his important subjects in school include Calculus, Computer Science, Physics, and girl-watching, he has managed to take away some of the importance of the first three.

2nd Per - Honors:
We went down to the library today to work on a new essay.  You need to choose a religious philosopher who had an impact on the world.  There are quite a few examples from the didactic literature in your books on pages 332 - 341.
  • You will write a 3 - 5 page report WITH references, citations and a works cited page. 
    • THIS WILL BE DONE IN APA FORMAT - NOT MLA. 
    • MLA is for English papers. 
    • Since we are working on a religious/philosophy paper this time, we will use the formatting of choice for those fields, which is APA.
  • Describe the life of the philsopher in a brief biography.
  • Discuss how they started their movement.
  • Discuss how it impacted society in their day.
  • Discuss the ramifications for our own day.
    • Are there any of these followers left?
    • Do they still adhere to the ideals/values/cultures that came with their time on the world stage?
  • Due Friday, April 11. 
3rd Period - 8th Grade:
  • We reviewed the grammar exercise that you did in class the other day from Chapter 16 review in the language book.  These were handed in and you will be given credit on a done/not done basis. 
  • Please remember to study for the vocab (week 5) and spelling (11A) quiz tomorrow.
  • Don't forget that your rough draft for your persuasive papers is due Monday and the final draft is due on Friday Feb 11.
4th Period - 7th Grade:
  • Students continued working on the computers for their Science papers.  The rough draft is due tomorrow.  Formatting and giving credit to your sources is the key target here. 
5th Period - 12th Grade: 
  • See the instructions for Honors English from above.  You are working on the same project for the next week or so. 
6th Period - 10th Grade:
  • Students had the entire period to work on their Prezi's about their authors.  These are due on Tuesday of this coming week.  Please make sure you get it done on time.  Big projects like this are worth quite a few points. 

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Wednesday - February 02, 2011

1st Period - Creative Writing:
We read a Mark Twain story today entitled "The man who corruped Haddleyburg."  This is a very good example of satire.  Satirical essay due Friday.

2nd Period - Honors:
We discussed the Didactic lessons learned from pages 332 - 341.  The write-up on these is due tomorrow.  We will be choosing a philosophy and philosopher to research tomorrow. 

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
  • Vocab week 5 and journal week 4 were due today.
  • We worked on outlines for our persuasive papers today.
    • Outlines are the skeleton structure that we can build a paper around.  Here is a rather silly but effective example of an outline we wrote together in class:
1.  Cheese is a miraculous food because its great for your complexion, helps attract potential mates, and is fun to play with.

2.  Cheese is great for your complexion:
     a.  Works as a good foundation for makeup.
     b.  Helps clear out your pores.
     c.  Fills in wrinkles
          i.  Gouda is the best.
          ii.  Swiss cheese is worst. 
          iii.  Don't use anything more than 50 days old.

3.  Cheese helps attract potential mates:
     a.  whitens teeth
          i.  This saves money you would normally have spent on whitening strips so you can spend more on your date.
     b.  Great deodorant.
          i.  See the advice about Gouda vs. Swiss cheese from the previous paragraph.
     c.  Expensive cheese tells members of the opposite sex you have money, class, and style.

4.  Cheese is fun to play with:
     a.  Use it as a cheap alternative to playdoh.
          i.  Can come in different colors.
               1.  Moldy green, slimy yellow, rotten black, wormy white, etc.
     b.  Explodes when combined with Nitro Glycerin.
     c.  Can be wadded up into little balls and thrown at annoying younger siblings.

5.  Therefore, Cheese is a miracle food because it is great for your complexion, helps with your love life, and is fun to play with.  Go get your 2 pound brick of Mild Cheddar today!

Once the outline is filled out and organized, it is a relatively simple matter to write the rough draft, revise and edit and turn it into a real paper with a final draft for turning in. 

Outlines for your persuasive papers due tomorrow.  Rough Draft Due Friday.
Grammar homework from the Language book will be due tomorrow.

4th Per - 7th Grade:
We worked on internet research about your scientists again.  The rough draft is due Friday.  Work hard on these.
Vocab 5 and Journal 4 were due today as well. 
The 5 paragraph food essy will not be due till tomorrow.

5th Per - 12th Grade:
We began to discuss the didactic morals from the world philosophy readings you did last night.  We'll finish discussing these tomorrow and pick our philosophers for the research paper tomorrow. 

6th Per - 10th Grade:
We continued working on the Prezi program for our Author presentations.  The final version will be due next Tuesday. 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Tuesday - February 01, 2011

1st Per - Creative Writing:
  • We are working with Satire this week.  Satire is the art of mocking something but doing it in a very sophisticated and educated way.  It usually has roots in the truth, but is skewed in some way that makes it implausible or ludicrous.  Here are a couple of headlines from a satirical website that we looked at in class today:

NFL Delays Super Bowl To Give Doritos Time To Finish Its Commercial


The NFL hoped to avoid the delay, but in the end realized that they couldn't disappoint the millions of viewers around the world expecting a hip and witty Doritos commercial. more»
Terrorists are planting normal, hard-working Muslim Americans throughout the nation to get us to lower our guard.

Al Qaeda Populating U.S. With Peaceful 'Decoy Muslims'

Terrorists are planting normal, hard-working Muslim Americans throughout the nation to get us to lower our guard.

FEMA Rushes Supplies To New Orleans In Anticipation Of Light Snow

FEMA has vowed to "make up for last time" by using every tool at its disposal to save New Orleans from this hint of a storm.
Massive Snowstorm Leaves Thousands Without Access To Pornography

Snowy Conditions Proving Hazardous For Nation's Idiots

If you know an idiot, please make sure they're safe and not standing naked in a snow embankment on a dare.
Department Of Health And Human Services Recommends Standing At Least Once A Day 01.31.11

  • Your assignment:  Write a satirical piece for Friday.  This assingment is both challenging and fun.  See me for more detailed examples. 

2nd Per - Honors:
  • We are working on literary texts from some of the major religious philosophers.  Please read from page 331 - 342 and summarize each of the different stories.  Didactic literature teaches a lesson or provides a moral.  In your summary, try to identify the moral of each tale.  Due tomorrow.

3rd Per - 8th Grade:
  • We worked in our Grammar books today on page 437 - 438.  Please complete the Chapter 16 Review questions of 1 - 30.  Re-write each sentence looking for the wrong words and fix them. 

We also learned the difference between:
  • Homophones - words that SOUND the same, but have different spellings - like Their, There, and They're
  • Homonyms - Words that are SPELLED the same AND SOUND the same, but have different meanings - like finger nail vs hammer and nail.
  • And one called Homographs - words that are SPELLED the same, but are pronounced differently - like a tear in your eyes, vs a tear or rip in your clothes.  The only way to tell these apart is through context.  You have to know what you are talking about, or they make no sense. 
4th Per - 7th Grade
  • We went over the basics of research papers today.  You are going to be writing a paper on a famous scientist for Science class. 
  • This paper will count as two different class grades.  One grade for science, and one grade for English. 
  • I reviewed how to use Word Perfect to include citations in your papers.  See me for additional help or more instructions. 
  • The rough draft is due on Friday, so it is important that you get busy on this right away. 
  • Mrs. Berry has the details of what you are looking for and what to write about.  I have the details of how to write it. 
  • We will be working on the computers Wed and Thursday.
I also assigned a 5 paragraph essay to see if students understand how to organize an essay or a paper.  A five paragraph essay has 5 paragraphs (Brilliant, I know!)
  1. The Introductary paragraph will have a thesis statement usually followed by 3 examples that you will use to prove your thesis or topic sentence.
  2. Paragraph 2 will discuss the first example from your topic sentence.
  3. Paragraph 3 will discuss the 2nd example from your topic sentence.
  4. Paragraph 4 will discuss the 3rd example from your topic sentence.
  5. Paragraph 5 is the summary, in which you basically restate your topic sentence and mention why you have proven your point.  Here is an example outline.
  • Introductory paragraph: "Cheese is the most wonderful food in the world because it (a) helps remove zits, (b) is fun to mold into little shapes like clay, (c) and makes a room smell wonderful."
  • Paragraph A will discuss how "Cheese helps remove zits"
  • Paragraph B will discuss how "Cheese is fun to mold"
  • Paragraph C will discuss how "Cheese makes a room smell great"
  • Conclusion will say:  "Therefore cheese is the most wonderful food in the world because it helps remove zits, is fun to mold, and makes a room smell great. 

5th Per - 12th grade - See Honors from 2nd Period.  You are going to be working on this section together this week.

6th per - 10th grade - We worked on the computers to learn how to use the Prezi program.  It's not too hard to figure out, but there is some learning that needs to happen before you can successfully put a presentation together.  Tomorrow we begin researching our authors. 

The students and the authors they have chosen are:
Ty:  Ray Bradbury
Mike:  Shakespeare
Miria:  Langston Hughes
Anna:  Edgar A. Poe
Saren:  H.H. Munroe
Daniel:  Julio Cortazar
Ben M:  Frank McCourt
Sarah:  Julia Alvarez
Ben N:  Robert Frost
Harley:  Gordon Parks
Ashlee:  Rita Dove
Adam:  Roger Rosenblatt
Emily:  Louise Erdritch
Cecilio - Virgil Suarez
Matt - Hansen W. Baldwin